A component for an actuator for a throttle flap of a drive motor is known from DE 42 41 020 A1. The component includes the following: a drive motor mounted in a housing; a throttle flap mounted on a shaft; and, a position sensor for detecting the position of the throttle flap. Position sensors and drive motor are connected to the throttle flap shaft. The drive signals are supplied to the component via plug-and-socket connections and the determined position signals are outputted via the plug-and-socket connections. The position sensor is at least one potentiometer. The component is mounted in the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.
Only the position sensor itself is integrated into the housing of the throttle flap actuator in the known solution. The detected voltage raw signals are transmitted to a control unit which evaluates the same. In future, however, also electronic components are increasingly built into such an actuator housing, for example, evaluation electronics for evaluating and/or digitally converting the sensor signal, especially, in contactless position sensors. This applies not only to a throttle flap actuator but also to other aggregates in connection with the control of an internal combustion engine (for example, an accelerator pedal unit, see, for example, DE-A 43 34 963).
The electronic circuits, which supply measurement signal values with a pregiven accuracy (in dependence upon which a control function for engine control, brake control or vehicle control is computed), must be protected against EMV-irradiation and ESD-pulses.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,430 to output electrostatic discharges via high-ohmage resistors from the throttle housing to the ground of the DC-motor. This variation is not suitable for our case because the high-ohmage resistors are not suited for EMV and ESD protection.